CelestronTravel Scope 80 Portable Refractor Telescope – 80mm Aperture, Fully-Coated Glass Optics – Includes Tripod, Smartphone Adapter, Backpack & Software – Ideal for Beginners & Travel

I've had a 8" diameter dobsonian telescope for about 25 years but wanted a smaller scope I could take camping when I didn't feel like dragging the heavy, 4 foot long one with me. I also wanted one I could use as a spotting scope for birding.There are only two things I don't like about this scope. 1) tripod is way to wimpy. Even on a name brand heavier-duty tripod, it's less stable than a dobsonian. The tripod it comes with is barely adequate. It works best if placed on a sturdy table with the legs extended just far enough to make it less tippy. 2) There is some lense flare when looking at Mars, but this is to be expected for this price of scope. There is also some minor purple fringing around the edge of the moon, but the moon looks so gorgeous thru it that you forget to notice.Now for what I like:1) Portability - doesn't kill my back to haul it outside. Sets up in minutes. So easy to take outside, I use it all the time. I'd only haul my big scope out a couple times a year because it was too heavy.2) The moon looks so AWESOME thru this scope!!!3) Jupiter: you can see several of the moons. I haven't been able to make out any of the color bands as I kinda can with my bigger scope, but that's to be expected due to the size/cost of this one.3) Saturn: It's my favorite planet. Even though it looks tiny in this scope, you can see the rings and it's beautiful.I was able to see the nebula in Orion's sword from the city (I live on the outskirts of Salt Lake City) It was really beautiful on one especially dark night, but most nights it's not dark enough to see it well. I haven't been able to see other nebulas I've looked for. I expect that when I'm able to get away from the city lights I'll be able to see more nebulas and galaxies. (Nebulas and planets thru backyard telescopes don't look like most photos. You don't see the colors. Nebulas look like gray clouds. They can still be beautiful tho).The eyepieces feel cheap, very light weight, but are surprisingly good. Better than I expected for the price. They have enough eye relief that They work ok with my eyeglasses, but I prefer to take my glasses off when looking thru the scope.I haven't tried the digiscoping adapter yet, but I've experimented with a similar one on my other scope. Digiscoping is tricky and often not all you hope it'd be, but you might get some good photos of the moon.I haven't really tried it as a spotting scope yet, other than to look at some leaves at the top of a tree, and expect it'll be good for that. I'm considering buying a zoom eyepiece for that.All in all, I think this is an amazing scope for the price. Too bad the tripod isn't as good as the scope. If you can get a heavier tripod, you'll love this scope, especially if you can find some dark skies. But even from the city, the Moon, Saturn & Jupiter are so amazing thru this scope.

Like many said you will soon want a 3x Barlow. My biggest issue is the flimsy tripod, I would suggest a better mount but honestly beyond some frustration keeping planets in focus on max zoom- and with the slightest gust of wind destroying your view- it does its job. The small sighting scope was useless, went in the trash. You don't really need that though, this is more of a scope for viewing the inner planets. You can eyeball that pretty easily even at high zoom.1- You can see the rings of Saturn. That's the biggest thing that made me want a scope.2- The moon is awesome to look at- but you will need sunglasses so keep that in mind. I suggest a polarization filter. Unscrew the metal tube at the bottom of the lens to thread one in.3- Daytime views are pretty good too. I can read the name of a large boat from a couple miles. It's portable enough to go bird watching if you have a good vantage point. Definitely would be great for Big Cypress in FL- view the birds coming in at sunset.I will definitely need to upgrade at some point but for the money, it's a good scope to jump into exploring the night sky.

This is my first telescope, and I’m a complete novice. I just wanted something inexpensive and portable that was suitable for planetary viewing. This telescope met those three standards. Price and portability are the strength of the 80mm Travel Scope. It is a very lightweight and compact package. The bag is nothing special, but convenient. We have taken it car camping several times, space is always a concern, and it was no problem fitting it in with the rest of the camping gear. It was inexpensive enough that I’m not worried about it getting banged around and the rough handling at camp. And, we have been able to view Saturn with some success (the ring is discernable with a gap,,,,,good not great), Jupiter and the Galilean moons (no bands or color, but impressive to me), and Mars….not much to look at there. I was surprised to find that the moon is actually very interesting, and the 80mm Travel Scope gave us some great views. So, overall, I’m happy with the purchase.To echo other reviews…The tripod is garbage. Compact and lightweight, but absolute garbage. The scope bounces if someone breaths within 10’. This really impacts viewing, and makes focusing a nightmare! It is also very difficult to set/move into position. It is either 100% free moving or locked (nothing in between). You get what you pay for. I’ve considered upgrading the tripod, but I don’t think that I have the skills to get enough out of this scope to justify paying for a tripod that is more expensive than the original kit. I plan to just get a 6” Dob for when I want to get a better view.The finder is total garbage….even worse than the tripod….mine actually went into the garbage! It took me forever to get it aligned, and I was still struggling to find easily visible planets. And, it would not maintain alignment after packing/unpacking the telescope. Don’t even try to install, save yourself the grief and get another finder scope. I got this for like $20, and it makes a world of difference…..https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009X3UU?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detailsI didn’t want to sink too much into this kit, but also purchased a x2 Barlow, and think that it is a worthwhile addition.I didn’t expect to use the phone adapter, but it is a nice bonus. It is a bit clunky to set-up. The extra weight makes the telescope even more unstable, and even when using voice commands and a 5 second timer the telescope is still bouncing. But, hey I can take pictures suitable for this review. The pics were take on a very clear night but in and area with a Bortle class 7 or 8 sky at best. The 80mm Travel Scope has the potential for better views than my pictures indicate (take into consideration that I’m an absolute novice, poor viewing area, and the constantly bouncing telescope).